This invention relates generally to solar heating systems and more specifically to solar heating systems which employ a series of radiation intensifying lenses arranged in a single plane in one or more circles having a common center and a like series of adjustable reflectors spaced from the plane of the lenses for reflecting intensified sun rays from the lenses onto a solar energy absorber located along an axis of the circles at the precise focal point distance from each of the lenses.
Generally speaking, numerous solar heating systems have been known and used in the prior art. The construction of such prior art systems vary widely. To be sure, there are such systems which employ a plurality of radiation intensifying lenses. See, for example, Japanese Pat. No. 0092753 issued to A. Tamasaki published June, 1983 entitled Intensifying Collector of Solar Heat which discloses a series of lenses in a hexagonal pattern on the front semi-spherical surface of a transparent spherical body. A curvilinear reflecting plate is located on the back semispherical surface of the body, whereby solar energy is directed to a heat collector located at the center of the spherical body at the focal positions of the various lenses. See also U.S. Pat. No. 1,683,266 issued to L. H. Shipman on Sept. 4, 1928; U.S. Pat. No. 2,902,028 issued to A. H. Manley on Sept. 1, 1959; U.S. Pat. No. 4,284,839 issued to S. A. Johnson on Aug. 18, 1981; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,116,223 issued to M. Vasilantone on Sept. 26, 1978. The Shipman patent discloses a solar heater having a plurality of elongated bar-shaped lenses arranged parallel to one another in a single plane. All of the lenses, except the center lens, direct intensified sun light downwardly into a parabolic shaped trough against individual bar-shaped reflectors which, in turn, reflect the light onto a water pipe surrounded by a glass jacket. Due to the shape of the trough, it is said that the light beams from each lens, other than the center lens, which strike corresponding reflector bars and thereafter impinge on the glass jacketed pipe, travel the same identical distance from each lens to the target. The center bar lens, which is located directly above the glass jacketed pipe target, is focused directly thereon without being reflected. The Manley patent discloses a series of lenses arranged in a rectangular array in a flat plane over an evaporator chamber. The Johnson patent discloses a solar energy apparatus containing two fresnel lenses for directing sun rays on two mirrors which, in turn, reflect the rays upon an energy absorber located at the focus of the lenses as measured along the reflected light path from the lenses to the reflectors and thence to the absorber. The Vasilantone patent discloses a solar heater having a transparent dome containing prism facets on its interior surface which magnify sun light and focus the rays downwardly and inwardly into a heat absorbing liquid. None of these patents involve a series of magnifying lenses arranged in a circular array or in an array of two or more concentric circles lying in a single plane.
Likewise, there are prior art solar energy collecting systems which utilize a plurality of reflectors arranged in various arrays to direct sun light upon an energy absorbing target. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,924,604 issued to D. E. Anderson on Dec. 9, 1975; U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,834 issued to B. H. York on Sept. 7, 1982 and the previously mentioned Shipman and Johnson patents, the latter two references being the only two in the group which employ a plurality of lenses used in conjunction with a plurality of reflectors. The system of Anderson employs a solar receiver mounted on a column above a series of circumferentially disposed pivotal support pads upon which reflector elements are disposed. The Anderson system, however, does not employ solar radiation intensifying lenses. The York patent discloses a solar reflector consisting of a nested, truncated and inverted trough formed as a reflector array of concentric annular conic frustra.
None of these prior art systems employ a series of lenses arranged in a circle or arranged in two or more concentric circles lying in a single plane and a like series of reflectors spaced from the plane for reflecting intensified radiation from the lenses onto an energy absorbing target located at the precise focal distance from each lens as measured along each reflected light beam path.
By means of my invention, these and other objects not obtained in the prior art are thus achieved.